Enchanted
by Firenzie
Summary: Yeah, I know, gay title, but anyway...It's Valentine's Day and after Malfoy is insulted, he puts an enchantment on Hermione, and now she is acting really strangely.
1. The Entrancement Enchantment

Enchanted

Part 1

Harry sighed. He couldn't wait to get out of class. With Valentine's Day coming in a few weeks, they were learning about love potions with Snape, and his mood was even worse.

"I hate this," Ron said, adding rose petals, the final ingredient, to their potion. "It smells like a perfume factory in here." The last smells you would possibly expect in Snape's potion dungeons.

"I thought love potions weren't allowed at Hogwarts," Hermione said, bitterly remembering the article Rita Skeeter wrote in their fourth year about her using one on Viktor Krum.

"They aren't, but Professor Dumbledore wants us to learn as much as we possibly can," Ron said.

Harry snorted. "And love potions can help us defeat Voldemort by making him fall for us?"

Lavender looked horrified, but Hermione and Ron sniggered, despite the name.

"It could prove in useful anyway," Hermione said thoughtfully, changing her mind.

"Well," Snape barked. "Class is over. Clean up your area, and I want a two parchment essay on anything dealing with love potions, due Monday. Now get out!"

The class packed up quickly and ran out the door.

"So," Draco Malfoy said. "Gangly, I'm sure that lesson was easy for you. Was that the potion you used on Viktor Krum, or was it a lot stronger? It must have been hard to make anyone like you." Crabbe and Goyle sniggered, but a bit too late.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry warned. He could sense that Hermione was still thinking about that.

"Harry, let it go. Just ignore him. He's just bitter because he has a complete lack of a love life. Unless you count Pansy Parkinson!" Hermione said, giggling.

"You leave her out of this!" he said threateningly, cold gray eyes blazing.

"Ooh, someone's in love!" Ron said.

Malfoy was about to retort, but by then, all the Gryffindor boys were chorusing, "Malfoy and Parkinson, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"You shut up!" he said furiously, whipping out his wand. "Granger, this is all your fault!" He muttered a spell and waved his arm. Pink sparks shot out at Hermione. "It's a sneak preview of our next Charms lesson," he explained, "the Entrancement Enchantment." He instructed Hermione, "This is where you fall in love with your best friend. See you later!" He and his goons walked off, smirking.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked.

"I'm fine," she said calmly. "I think the spell backfired. I mean, how would Malfoy know anything about Entrancement Enchantments?"

"Suppose it did work," Harry said. "Really, do you know anything about them, Hermione?"

"I stayed away from love potions and entrancement enchantments," she said. "It just wasn't my kind of thing."

"So it could be working," Ron said. Harry and Hermione noted the hopefulness in his voice.

***

Harry ran to the Great Hall. He hadn't seen Hermione or Ron all morning, so he had gone to the library and done some research. It was about time for lunch, and he was really curious to find out what they had been up to.

He instantly spotted Ron, due to his flaming hair, which stood out easily in the hall. He ran over anxiously.

"What is it?" Ron asked through clenched teeth. He had been having a conversation with Seamus and Dean about some pretty Ravenclaw girls.

"It's about the enchantment –" Harry began.

"Tell me later," Ron said, "Dean said he could get me a date with someone for the Valentine's Ball."

"But it's important –" he said impatiently.

"Did you not hear the fact that Dean can get me a date?"

Harry sighed. "Fine. Have you seen Hermione?" __

"She's probably in the library," Ron said quickly, obviously hoping to ward Harry off.

He was most likely right, so Harry sped off again. He ran right by Snape, who luckily was so infuriated with teaching how to make love potions, that he didn't even notice him for the first time since he started Hogwarts.

As Ron stated, and Harry guessed, Hermione was in the library poring over a particularly thick volume. He walked right up to her table, where she also failed to notice him.

"Hello," he said, after clearing his throat to get her attention. He sat down in the chair next to her.

Her head instantly snapped up. "Harry!" she cried in shock, slamming the cover of the book. "Hi!" He noted how nervous she sounded. "What's up?" She jammed the book into the shelf, after sneezing from all the dust she had created.

"Something wrong?" His news was important, but it was nothing compared to her odd behavior. "Something you're trying to hide, maybe?"

"Not at all!" she squeaked. She giggled rather nervously. "Why?"

"Well, you seem a bit –" he searched for a word that fit, but wouldn't seem to mean – "jumpy."However, it was a horrible understatement.

"Jumpy? Me? No, not at all. So what brings you to the library?" she asked quickly.

Harry just got used to it. "Well, I had already been to the library this morning, and I was researching something. You know, the Entrancement Enchantment." 

Hermione gulped. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Harry began again. 

"Anyway, I was checking up to see how it worked, just to make sure it didn't actually work. You know, like a Slow Acting Venom that takes a while to sink it. Apparently it does. I mean, the person enchanted gradually develops a crush, but then it speeds up and goes along faster than a normal crush."

"That's – that's nice," Hermione said. "So you think it could be working?"

He nodded. "And get this – you know how Malfoy said that you would fall in love with your best friend?" She nodded her head, remembering. "Well, he was right. The spell makes you fall for the person you're closet to, who isn't by any chance related to you. It can also completely disintegrate your crush on someone you currently like."

"Really," was all she replied after a while.

"So I narrowed it down to two people – Ron and…well, me." He began to feel as uncomfortable as Hermione looked, and she looked about ready to leap out of her seat. "So if we want to counteract this thing, if we can, we need to first find out who you're going to fall for before it gets too out of hand."

"So you want to know who my best friend is?" she asked to make sure. "Well, isn't it obvious? You've seen the way Ron and I constantly argue and disagree."

"They say opposites attract." Harry shrugged.

"I hope not!" she said loudly, attracting glares from Madam Pince and studying students, and looks from other people. She blushed a bit. "What I mean is Ron is my best friend, but I could never, _ever _think of him that way, even if he has a crush on me or not."

"So it's me," he said slowly.

"Admit it, Harry, you knew it all along."

He nodded guiltily. "Well, it was actually just an assumption –"

She interrupted him. "So how long until this stupid thing starts?"

"Oh I'd say…" He checked his watch. "Two seconds."

"Wha --?"Suddenly, her eyes became sort of glossy, and she sat a bit rigid. When she blinked, she seemed different somehow, and the way she looked at Harry made his spine tingle. "What was I talking about?" she asked dreamily, gazing at him.

"Oh --- uh…I don't remember either." He realized that his face was now on fire.

"What's wrong, Harry?" She asked curiously, leaning closer to him and placing a cool hand on his forehead. "I don't think you have a temperature, though you are a bit warm. Your whole face is red, did you know that?"

"Errr…yeah." 

She removed her hand, but she didn't settle back in her seat. Instead, she stayed as close as possible to Harry, and she was practically in his lap.

"Maybe we should go," he suggested uncomfortably, slightly nudging her.

"Where?" she wondered, her bright, brown eyes sparkling more than ever.

"I dunno, the common room?" It was the first thing to pop up in his head.

"And what are we going to do there?" she asked rather mischievously, giving him a grin that gave him goosebumps.

"Uhhh…or we could catch up with Ron," he said hastily, "and visit Hagrid's or something –"

She leaned over until they were inches apart. "How about we do something together…alone?" she whispered softly.

His eyes widened. "Ummm…maybe that isn't a good idea –"

"Did I mention you look better without glasses?"

That caught him off guard. "What?"

She smiled and removed his glasses, his vision becoming blurry. "You look a lot cuter this way."

"Did I mention that I can't see without them?" he asked hurriedly.

She sat down on his lap, dangling his glasses between her fingers. "Good."

"Hermione, I don't think we should be doing this here," he said, glancing somewhat blindly at the many students whose attention had been averted to the two of them and an unmistakably cross Madam Pince.

"All right," she murmured. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Where should we go then?"

"You know, I meant –"

"I know what you meant," she said quietly, but firmly.

"Well, that's good. Then you know we shouldn't be doing this at all."This time, he spoke with force.

For a person under an enchantment, that worked incredibly well. She sighed dejectedly and returned to her original seat. "I understand," she sighed.

"Huh?" He was really surprised; people under spells weren't supposed to listen.

"I'm trying to fight it, Harry," she said in a small voice, which wasn't the flirtatious one she was using earlier. "Trying to be brave – like you."

_Can you fight an Entrancement Enchantment? _If you could, Hermione should be able to manage it. "Good for you. Keep going at it then."

She giggled girlishly. "Going at what?"

He buried his head in his hands and rested his elbows on the desk. It was hopeless.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked gently, though it wasn't a pleasant voice for Harry to head. He could practically sense her coming closer. "Look, I'm sorry if I did something…but you have to tell me what's wrong first."

She tenderly pried his fingers away from his face and smoothed out his bangs. "You must be having a hard day."

"You could say that," he muttered.

"Awww," she whispered. "I can try to make it all better…" Then she closed her eyes and leaned forward.

Harry shut his eyes too; it was just instinctive. He exhaled, and he noticed that his breath was a bit shaky. Hermione put her head closer, and their lips met for one millisecond –

"Ahem!" Madam Pince said, irritated. Their heads snapped up. "I do believe you know the library and school rules – no making out in public places where students are present!"

"No, we weren't –" Harry said desperately, blushing crimson, aware of all the eyes in the room on him.

"I think I'd be able to tell, Mr. Potter!" she said. "Now – out!" She pointed to the door.

"Come on," Hermione whispered, taking his hand. "We'll find someplace private."

"No, Hermione –" he begged, but she was leading him out the door.

"Don't worry," she replied.

"But I can't see!" he said.

She giggled. "Perfect. Now shut your eyes then, to make sure." 

"But –"

"Do it."

He rolled his eyes, but then he agreed. "Come on, where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere private," was all she would say.

A few minutes later, they halted. "Fewmets," she said. 

(Fewmets are dragon droppings, just so you know. It's from _A Wind in the Door_ by Madeline L'Engle. It's a good book, just so you know. Anyway, back to the fic --) 

"The Prefect Lounge?" Harry said in surprise. "But no one comes here anymore –"

"Exactly the point." Harry could just see her wide grin, as she took him inside. "Now you can open your eyes." She finally handed him his glasses, which he promptly put on.

He already knew what he would see – a cozy little room with a few armchairs and poufs in front of a blazing fire. Elegant portraits on the wall and tapestries, oak tables, and antique lamps. It was practically like their common room, but less crowded, more secluded and quiet, and more decorated.

"Come on, Harry, sit down," she said, gesturing towards a nice, velvet loveseat.

"You know, Hermione, I just remembered that I had to –" he lied.

"No you don't," she said firmly. Of course, even under the enchantment, she could tell if he was lying or not. After all, he was pretty horrible at it. "Look, would a few minutes of relaxing kill you?"

"It would if Voldemort were back to power – wait a minute, he is," Harry said dryly.

"We're safe at Hogwarts," she said softly.

"Or so we thought in our fourth year," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh for god's sake, Harry, just sit down already!" She sounded much like her normal self.

"What?"

"Please?" she asked more softly. "I won't bite you."

_Yeah right,_ he thought. _Who knows what you'll do under this stupid spell?_

"Come on, please, Harry?" She gave him a very convincing puppy dog look.

"Oh, all right," he said reluctantly. "But I have a surprise for you…close your eyes." She did. "All the way," he added, and she did. When he made sure that she couldn't see anything, he did something he wanted to do ever since he found out the enchantment had really worked –

He ran out of the portrait hole and down the hall as fast as he could.

***

**A/N:** This fic came out of nowhere (though it was slightly inspired by an old Sliders episode [I told you I was obsessed!]) Yeah, I am straying further and further away from **_The Mysterious Corridor_** ([1][1], [2][2], [3][3]) and **_Harry Potter and the Tapestry of Fate_ **([1][4], [2][5], and [3][6]), but like, five people have read it anyway (huge exaggeration, but read please them anyway). I'll try to get the other parts up soon for the two people who actually want to read them.

I have no idea why I keep making stories with sequels, but this should be a trilogy the way I estimate. (I have been wrong a lot of times, you know.) Please, please comment! Anything! So I know you actually read it, not just clicked on it by accident or something.

**Disclaimer**: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Malfoy, Snape, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling. 

_A Wind in the Door _belongs to Madeline L'Engle. Trust me, the book is really good, but you should read _A Wrinkle in Time first. _

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/master.cfm?action=story-read&storyid=47915
   [2]: http://www.fanfiction.net/master.cfm?action=story-read&storyid=50180
   [3]: http://www.fanfiction.net/master.cfm?action=story-read&storyid=52478
   [4]: http://www.fanfiction.net/master.cfm?action=story-read&storyid=45015
   [5]: http://www.fanfiction.net/master.cfm?action=story-read&storyid=45874
   [6]: http://www.fanfiction.net/master.cfm?action=story-read&storyid=50179



	2. Shocking Confessions

Enchanted

Part 2

Harry breathed heavily. Finally, he had escaped, and he was safe in the empty boys' dorm. He knew it was wrong to abandon Hermione in her condition, being under an enchantment and all, but when he thought about the specific spell it was, he reasoned it was all right. She wasn't herself anyway, so she wouldn't be offended.

He just couldn't believe it though. Hermione, of all people! It really made him uneasy to see her like that, flirting with him and coming so close to kissing him. She was supposed to be his friend, who could remain sane and rational. This spell was completely changing her, and he didn't like it a bit. She wasn't supposed to be the person he fell in love with…was she?

"Shut up," he muttered to himself. "She's under a spell. She's not thinking her thoughts, or acting of free will. I should really let this go."

"Let what go?" Ron had entered the dorm, with a bemused look on his face. "Talking to your invisible friend?"

He didn't say anything, not even hi.

"What's up?" he asked. "Either the world is ending, or something bizarre is happening."

"The latter," he answered gloomily. (It seems that everyone seems to be saying "the latter" in fics now, and it's seeped into my brain too) "Guess what?"

"What?" Ron asked curiously. "Tell me."

"Just take a stab at it."

"Ummm…Malfoy's found secret love with his goon Crabbe?" he asked hopefully. "That'll be the day –"

Harry grinned. "No, but close. This does have something to do with that dumb slime ball."

"What, he _is_ gay?" Ron suggested. "That would be so funny…and if he fell for an ugly Muggle boy…"

"Ron, sorry to interrupt your secret fantasies, but this is serious," he said, still inwardly laughing about it. Ron glared at him.

"Well, if it was so serious, why did you make me guess?" he asked crossly,

"Because I don't really want to talk about it…"

Ron raised a clenched fist. "Spill it or I'll knock it out of you," he joked.

Harry laughed. "All right, all right. You know the Entrancement Enchantment?" He scanned Ron's face for any sort of reaction, but he just looked indifferent.

"Is this what you wanted to tell me at lunch?" he asked lazily.

"Yes, and no. Okay, first off, I've been studying this spell, and it's like slow acting venom. Really gradual, but then it just rockets off."

"And?" he wondered.

"I was getting there!" Harry said, indignantly. "Anyway, the scary part is…it worked."

Ron gasped. "On Hermione, you mean?"

"Who else?" Harry cried.

"I can't believe it!"

"Me neither!" Harry yelled. He realized they were starting to sound like teenage girls, who had just discovered the cutest, most popular boy in school liked them.

"But that's just crazy…it's not possible -- Malfoy knows how to do a spell?" Ron said in utter shock. 

Harry burst out laughing, despite everything. "Come on, Ron, this is bad. You should have seen Hermione; I mean, she was so weird that it was scary. In the library, she kept flirting with me and complimenting me and giggling nonstop, and then she sat in my lap and tried to kiss me! She would've but then Madam Pince came over and threw us out! A whole bunch of people saw us.

"Then, she dragged me to the Prefect Lounge, but I couldn't see because she had taken off my glasses, saying I looked better without them. I knew she would make a move on me then, so I said I had a surprise, made her close her eyes, and I just only got away." Harry exhaled deeply.

Ron wasn't shaken or fascinated – he was…envious? "You're lucky to have a girl treat you that way."

"This is Hermione! Hermione Granger!" he practically shouted. "You know, Hermione Granger? This spell is so creepy that I can't stand it."

"I wish I had your problem," Ron said.

"What problem?"Seamus had just come into the room.

"Harry has a girl who's madly in love with him," Ron informed him.

"It's Hermione!" Harry said angrily. When he saw Seamus' smirk, he added, "She's under the Entrancement Enchantment!"

"I saw her coming in the portrait hole," Seamus said, "right before I went upstairs. Anyway, she was asking where you went. She should be here right…" 

They all checked their wristwatches at exactly the same time. "NOW!" they shouted simultaneously, as the door opened.

The person in the doorway stared at them. It was Dean. "What?"

"We thought you were Hermione," Ron explained.

"An easy mistake," he said derisively. "But she just left."

"Where'd she go?" Harry asked eagerly.

"I thought you were trying to get away!" Ron exclaimed.

"I am," he replied. "I need to find out which places not to go, so I can avoid her."

"Someone fill me in here," Dean said. "Are you two fighting?"

"The opposite." Ron retold the tale, and Seamus and Dean listened intently.

"Hey, that's not bad," Dean replied. "Call it studying for Charms firsthand; maybe Flitwick will give you extra credit."

"A real blessing in disguise," Harry said dryly.

"You never know," Seamus said.

"I don't know what it is, but I don't like it," Harry said firmly crossing his arms. "And I'll find a way to stop it all."

***

Harry searched the libraries, but not a single spellbook gave the cure for a person enchanted with the Entrancement Enchantment. A week later, he was thoroughly exhausted with running from Hermione and trying to stop her from kissing him, while looking for a cure, which it didn't seem to have.

It had worsened considerably every day. She started off normally, casually asking where he was, doing small favors for him, giving little compliments and special smiles. Then she was giving him quick pecks on the cheek when she saw him in the morning and when they were going to sleep at night. She flirted more, and hugged him tightly when she had to leave him, or vice versa.

But now it was serious. She had grown more passionate and obsessive too, following him everywhere, hugging and kissing him at every chance, practically sitting in his lap at meals and eating off his plate, sitting awfully close in the library and common room. She never gave him a break.

Harry and Ron were walking down the halls after Divination. Professor Trelawny, for the first time ever, had not seen any omens for Harry dying, even when she checked his palm again, looked into a crystal ball, and tried various other ways. Instead, she found love and romance in every one, and she said that he would fall in love with his best friend – _girl_, of course.

"I can't believe it," he moaned after they descended the ladder.

"Hey, why not? At least you have an automatic date for the Valentine's Ball. I mean, not a single girl wants to go with me. Padma's told the entire school that I'm a horrible date because I kept goggling over Hermione."

Harry snickered. "If it gets so bad, you might have to go with a cousin."

"She's eleven!" Ron yelled.

Then Harry broke into a run and ducked behind an elegant tapestry in the halls. "We're in the Arithmancy corridor. Hermione might be nearby still. I have to get away. It's driving me mad, Ron! I have to stop her!" he exclaimed.

"You _do_ know what you have to do now, right?" Ron asked him.

"What?" Harry asked, panting. He wiped off his sweaty forehead, and backed against the wall, cautiously peeking to see if Hermione was nearby.

"Obvious, isn't it? I don't know why you didn't think of it. Well, it sort of is a last resort, I mean, pretty desperate," Ron said. "Plain and simple. You should just go –"

"Good idea," Harry said, taking off. "I think I saw Hermione."

Ron sighed. "For someone so brave, you can be a complete chicken sometimes," he said to Harry's retreating figure.

"Hello, Ron!" Hermione said cheerfully. "Have you seen Harry? I haven't seen him all week! You'd think he was hiding!" She giggled girlishly.

"Quite the contrary," Ron lied. "He was searching for you too. Anyway, he went thataway." He pointed the way Harry had run off.

Hermione beamed. "Thanks, Ron!" Then she skipped off, humming a cheerful tune.

Ron grinned deviously. "I know I shouldn't be enjoying this…"

***

Harry took a deep breath. He had managed to escape Hermione – he hoped. He probably shouldn't have run off though, Ron's advice might have been helpful. Right now, he needed a place to hide, so he darted into an empty classroom.

He regained his breath and then looked around the room. It wasn't empty at all. With a jolt of fear, he realized he had walked into a classroom with the teacher sitting at their desk grading papers, and it just so happened to be Flitwick.

"Hello, Mr. Potter," he said in his familiar squeaky voice. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I was trying to hide from Hermione –" He cut himself off. "I mean…I mean…" Suddenly it hit him. Surely Ron's advice had been to consult Flitwick. Who else would know more about Entrancement Enchantments than the Charms teacher? "Well, I need some advice."

"I'll be glad to help!" the small wizard said keenly. He laid the papers down, and walked over to him. "What do you need?"

"I was trying to study ahead," Harry lied, but it was Dean's idea anyway. "And I was really – errr…fascinated with Entrancement Enchantments."

"Ahhh, yes," Flitwick said. "It _is_ a very interesting spell."

"And I was searching through all the library books. There was pretty much a lot of information, but I just couldn't find one thing. The cure or counter spell."

"That's correct." "For what makes it so appealing, is that it is one of the only spells without something to counteract it." 

Harry gaped. "But that can't be –" he spluttered. "You said it was like Einstein's theory! Every action has an equal but opposite reaction. You said all spells were like that!"

"Calm down, Mr. Potter, those were only the basics. You should know that some things just break a few rules, shouldn't you? Now shouldn't you be going outside? It's Friday, go out and enjoy the sunshine."

"I guess so," he mumbled. "Thanks." He shuffled to the door.

"Why are you so disappointed?" Flitwick wondered, stopping him.

"Well, I know someone who's under the spell, and there's no way to get it off," he replied, trying to remain vague.

However, Flitwick, of course, got it. "Miss Granger, I presume. After you, I'm sure? I'm basing this on the facts of the Entrancement Enchantment. Well, if you could get her here, I'm sure I could check her and see if I can do something at all."

Harry threw his hands in the air. "But I've been running all day, I'm not going to go and talk to her now! She's still enchanted."

"You want her cured, right?"

"You said there was no cure!" he nearly yelled, going practically mad.

Flitwick sighed, and calmly said, "Just get her to me when you get the chance, and I'll see what's going on."

"She's entranced, that's what!"

"Calm down, Mr. Potter, I'll see you later. I'm quite busy grading these papers." He ushered Harry out of the classroom and shut the door behind him.

Harry sighed exasperatedly, and leaned against the closed door, running his fingers through his hair.

"Hard day?" a voice asked.

He didn't have to look up or even open his eyes. "Hello, Hermione," he said dully. Then he realized he could get her to Flitwick right now, and see if he couldn't fix her up after all.

She giggled. "I know what will make you better!" She pulled him close to her, and stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck to give him a long, passionate kiss.

Harry was stunned, but for some reason, he kissed her back. Then he grasped that he was only making it worse. He pushed Hermione away, and panted, his cheeks flushed. "Don't – ever do – that again." 

A smile was still playing on her lips, but she said nothing.

He grabbed her wrist and knocked on the door with his other hand. "Professor Flitwick! I've got her!" 

Hermione gasped. "No, don't –" she begged.

_Now what kind of person under an Entrancement Enchantment does that?_ he wondered, and remembered that Hermione had done that plenty of times over the past week. He still had a look of deep concentration on his face when Flitwick opened the door.

"Here already, Mr. Potter? Is it that serious?" He let them in.

Hermione looked deathly pale, and Harry was anxious for all this mess to be over – if it could be. Flitwick had been speaking like he knew how to fix her up.

"Well, Mr. Potter, why don't you fill me in on the way she's been acting ever since she was enchanted?" Flitwick pulled two seats in front of his desk, and settled down in his very high chair.

Harry was used to long explanations, and he took a deep breath and began. Flitwick listened fixedly, occasionally nodding, or murmuring things like, "Ahhh, yes," "that makes sense," and "I see."

"Well?" Harry asked, when he was done.

"That does sound curiously like she's enchanted. I just have one question – how did she get under the spell?"

Harry tried to hide his smile. Now it was time to bring Malfoy into this and get him in trouble for using a spell without authorization, and in the school corridors. "It was Draco Malfoy, sir."

"Hmmm…well, we have to find Mr. Malfoy then. My guess is he's outside right now –"

"He's roaming the corridors with Crabbe and Goyle," Harry said quickly. He had whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," when he pulled the Marauders Map out of his pocket and under the desk. "In fact, they're right outside." Harry had a strong feeling that they were the ones who pointed Hermione to where he went, and now they were waiting to see what happened.

"Then I'll go get them." He went out of the classroom for a while.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered, her face white and her eyes shining.

"What?" he asked, whipping around to look at her. She hadn't said a word since they got in the classroom. And the voice she just used sounded surprisingly normal, but scared.

"Before this gets out of hand, I have to tell you something –" she began, but Flitwick pushed the door open, with a smirking Malfoy behind him.

"So I'm guessing it _is_ you?" Flitwick questioned. "That's an awfully big smile, Mr. Malfoy, after just getting caught for performing a charm against school rules and in the hallways."

"Oh, but Professor," he said greasily, "I did no such thing. This is just a figment of Hermione and Harry's imagination. You see, they _thought_ I did a spell, because I waved my wand, said something, and pink sparks shot out."

"Yeah, that's called _doing a spell_," Harry said angrily, but Flitwick raised a hand.

"Let Mr. Malfoy continue his story."

Malfoy gave Harry a smug grin before Flitwick faced him. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I gave them the impression that I had performed a spell, but the only one I used was to make sparks fly out. I said no Entrancement Enchantment, nor do I even know how to do that. I do study, but I don't really go ahead of the class."

"Are you saying that you didn't even do a spell?" the professor asked incredulously. 

Malfoy nodded.

"Wait a minute, let me see your wand. The Slytherins haven't been in my class since before this spell was supposedly performed, due to certain circumstances. Now before I do this, are there any other spells you previously did that I'm not supposed to know about?"

Malfoy shook his head, still grinning. Flitwick raised the wand, and said, "_Prior Incanto!_" An image of sparks shooting out at the tip of the wand made Malfoy beam with pride.

"That's not right, he could have just done that seconds before you caught him!" Harry said, outraged that Malfoy had found a way out.

_"_But you see, I can also tell _when_ the spell was performed. That one said precisely ten days ago. I think he's telling the truth," Flitwick replied.

"Try a truth telling spell!" Harry cried out.

"Mr. Potter, you do heavily suspect Mr. Malfoy of doing this –"

"Of course I do," he said, "how else could Hermione be acting like this?"

They turned to look at her, and she squirmed nervously in her seat.

"Wait a minute, Mr. Malfoy, if you didn't do a spell, why did you tell them you had performed the Entrancement Enchantment?" Flitwick asked.

"It was just a childish schoolboy prank. I had no idea it would be taken so seriously…"

Harry jumped out of his seat. "That's a lie!"

"Now calm down. Mr. Potter, do you really want me to perform a truth charm on him? Maybe we can actually get to the bottom of this, you think?" Harry nodded, and Flitwick raised his wand.

"Don't!" Hermione shrieked, standing up. Everyone stared at her, as she burst into tears. "Oh, I didn't want it to get this far," she sobbed.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Harry, Malfoy was telling the truth, Flitwick probably suspected it all along… I _knew_ that Malfoy hadn't performed the right spell, because I have studied tons about them, I was lying when I told you otherwise. But I – I just pretended that he actually did and that it worked…" She buried her face in her hands and collapsed back in her seat.

"But _why_?" Harry asked her.

"Don't you know?" she asked. "It would be better if everyone didn't stare at me while I said this, it is awfully embarrassing…" Flitwick looked out the window, Harry still looked at her sideways, and Malfoy watched her, a huge smirk on his face.

"I did it because – because…" She took a deep breath. "I did it because I really like you, Harry, but since you considered me only as a friend, you would think I was really weird if you ever found out, so I took advantage of Malfoy's prank, like he knew I would because he knew too and wanted to embarrass me, and by pretending I was under the spell, I was able to do all the things I had fantasized about, but dare not do for the sake of our friendship," she said very quickly.

Harry gawked at her. "Really?"

She nodded sadly. "I'm sorry I caused all this mess, it's all my fault. I never should have done this, it got so out of hand…I'm sorry," she said again and ran out the door in tears.

"Hermione, wait!" Harry yelled, and ran after her.

"So then it's all solved, and I'm not in trouble?" Malfoy asked hopefully.

"Not quite," Flitwick said. "You've caused a lot of grief, Mr. Malfoy. That's why I'm taking ten points from Slytherin. And I know Miss Granger and Mr. Potter still have some things to sort out – but it should come out right in the end."

***

**A/N: **Ha! For once, I didn't end in a cliffhanger! Anyway, the next one will be the last (I know I've said that many times before, but don't kill me). So thank you for reading this (sorry if it's been done before, but I haven't read anything like it), and just wait for the next one, all right? Be a responsible reader (hehe, I love to say that) and review!

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and everyone and everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and whoever else it does.


	3. "Did You Ever Love Somebody (Who Never K...

Enchanted

Part 3

Harry couldn't catch up to Hermione after she dashed off, but she knew just where she had gone. Her secret spot, the one she had told only Harry about. Now he understood why. It was sacred to her, the place where she got away from anything and especially anything that was troubling her. And boy, was she troubled right now. He ran out the main doors outside and down the hill. He saw the large tree by the lake, and sure enough, a figure was silhouetted sitting on one of its lofty, large branches. He silently crept up to it and tried to climb up unnoticed.

"What do you want, Harry?" a sniffling voice asked. "I've caused you enough trouble."

"Yeah, you have," he called up to her, settling on a low branch.

"Gee, way to make me feel better," she said cynically.

"Well, it's the truth. And quoting from Dumbledore, 'the truth, no matter how harsh it is, is better than any lie.'"

"He never said that exactly," she said automatically.

"Yes, not exactly, but it is practically the same thing. Just so you know, I'm not mad at you," he told her.

"That's nice," she said quietly.

"I'm shocked, though. I never thought – I never knew that – I figured it had been the enchantment – if you told me I would never have believed –" He rambled, but none of the sentences seemed to fit. "This has been weird few days."

"Thanks to me," she said darkly.

"Hermione, I told you, I don't mind. I'm really shocked – and well, _flattered_," Harry replied, looking up at her.

"Cut it out, Harry, I already know you don't like me," she muttered.

"So maybe I don't," he said, "but what does that matter? You're my best friend, and that's all I need."

"Unfortunately, that isn't all that I want."

"You can't get everything you want, but maybe…" He paused, thinking. "I got it Hermione," he said brightly. "I haven't got a date yet, so you can come with me to the Valentine's Ball."

"As a last resort?" she asked.

"No, a first choice," he replied. "Even though we both know I don't feel…that _way_ about you, that doesn't mean we can't go to a ball together. I'm not very keen on asking girls like Parvati who get all excited about balls and dancing and going with me just because I am who I am."

She laughed, even though she still felt horrible. "Then I'm afraid you have the wrong girl!"

"Just, please go with me? Or you can always go with Ron." Harry didn't want that to sound mean to Ron, but it just came out that way.

"Good point. And I don't want to end up with someone like Viktor Krum again," she said thoughtfully.

"You didn't like Viktor?" he asked. "This I've got to hear." He scurried up the tree expertly, and sat on the branch nearest to her.

"Harry, I never even liked Viktor." She sighed. "You heard what I said about him – he's not even good-looking, and girls only like him because he's famous. It's always been you. I only agreed to go with Viktor because I knew – I _thought_ no one would ask me. I was wrong, but it was good that I did instead of going with Neville or – urgh, Ron."

"So why did you act like you really liked Viktor in front of Ron?"

She sighed. "I don't know why I acted like I liked Viktor with _Viktor_. I never thought he really liked me, I mean, he was a famous Quidditch player, and he's four years older than me. You saw the way I ignored him after the second task. I didn't even like being the person he would miss the most. I know he told you that he was suspecting us together because I talked about you way too much."

"Yeah, he did," Harry said. "It was actually kind of funny, him thinking that I was an actually rival."

"Well, Viktor thought I was serious about him also, but I wasn't. I learned by being around him a lot that he was really nice, and I gained this sort of respect for him, because Durmstrang sounded horrible and Karakoff, well we know about him, but I just never felt that way about him. As for Ron, I knew that he had developed a crush on me, that he was only subconsciously aware of, and I didn't like it a bit. So I pretended to be really interested in Viktor, and I had a lot of fun watching Ron be jealous.

"I've done some pretty crazy things for love."

"You could say that again," Harry muttered, all of the last week's experiences rushing through his mind.

"I worked so hard to hide it all those years, but I suppose everyone else saw right through me. That's why Mrs. Weasley even believed that we had been going out. I got really desperate to find a way to be close to you, but I couldn't really find any. The past week proved how insane I went just to be with you. I was actually considering a love potion, but Malfoy found out my secret and gave me the chance. We weren't working together or anything, though," she added, seeing Harry's expression. "I can't believe I degraded myself like that, though. Yet in reality, that was the side that no on gets to see of me. I was so deprived of love that my inner self was possessed for it. Through everything, even if you'll hate me now, I'll always like you, and I have ever since I read about you."

"So that _is_ a yes to go with me to the ball?" he asked, grinning.

"Of course. I don't know why you asked me after what I did -- " She cut herself off. The tears weren't entirely gone; a few of happiness fell down her tearstained cheeks. "_Thank you_, Harry."

"I think I owe you after you embarrassed yourself so much. But to everyone else, you _were_ under a spell."

"Good. No one finds out, and we erase Malfoy's memory as soon as possible," she said.

"Deal," he agreed, grinning, sticking out his hand. She shook it. "And Hermione?"

"What?" she asked.

"Don't ever, ever act like that again," he said.

"Deal." They shook hands again. As they were letting go, their eyes locked on one another's for a brief moment and they smiled. 

For the rest of the day, they stayed up in the tree, relaxing and talking, and everything was just the way it had been before all that Entrancement Enchantment mess.

***

Harry smoothed out his emerald green robes, the ones he had used at the Yule Ball. After all, they did match very well with his eyes, even if he had grown a bit more. He looked at himself in the mirror and tried desperately to fix his hair. He had used a ton of gel to make it lay flat, and it worked somewhat, but it couldn't defy heredity. He had parted his jet-black hair down the middle, and it looked all right, yet he was still nervous. "It's only Hermione," he reminded himself.

"I can't believe you asked her to the ball," Ron replied. "I thought you hated her stalking you."

"Well, she was under a spell!" Harry and Hermione hadn't told even Ron that Hermione liked Harry, and it was erased from Malfoy's memory forever after he performed a very useful charm.

Ron was trying to fix his robes. Luckily, there wasn't any lace, and it was in pretty good condition. Unfortunately, it had been Percy's, the one he had worn to the Yule Ball. The navy blue with his hair made him stand out even more, but he lived with it.

"Who'd you ask anyway, Ron?" Seamus asked. He was going with Lavender Brown once again, because they had become somewhat of an item since the last ball.

"I didn't," he said. "Dean did, and he intends to keep it a surprise."

Dean grinned. "And you can thank me for everything." Harry noticed how devilish his grin looked, but spoke nothing of it.

"Kind of funny, how you got a date for Ron, but not yourself," Seamus taunted.

"Shut up," Dean said, "I didn't want a date. That doesn't leave me committed to stay with only one girl."

"Player," Ron said, laughing. 

"And you, Neville, who are you going with?" Seamus asked.

"No one," he said, fixing his robes, which refused to fall in place properly. "I didn't ask anyone."

"Yeah, and Ginny's going with Colin this year," Ron replied. "The two Harry Potter fanatics. Have I ever told you about WELHPS?" he asked the boys, sniggering.

(A/N: Oh yeah, that's from HP and the Tapestry of Fate, part 4, so you have to read it to understand this!)

"Well, we should go find our dates now, shouldn't we?" Harry suggested quickly, trying to avoid the subject Ron was trying to bring up. "The ball starts soon." He was glad he wouldn't have to open the ball by dancing this year. Everything was just normal, and he was sure to have a good time.

The guys all nodded, and they walked out of the room. A whole bunch of girls were waiting at the foot of the stairs of the girls' dorm. Lavender went of in Seamus' arm, and Dean and Neville tagged along, teasing them.

"So you don't know who your date is?" Harry asked Ron, looking for Hermione, but she wasn't there.

"Not yet," he said. "I gotta dash, but I'll meet you two later, all right?"

Harry nodded, as Ron ran out of the portrait hole. "Have you seen Hermione?" he asked Paige Torrey, a fourth year girl.

"Yeah, she's upstairs," she replied.

"Is she all right, or just getting ready?" he asked, concerned.

"I think she's fixing her hair," Paige said. "Speaking of that, your hair looks really great too." She blushed.

"Thanks," Harry said and ran up the stairs.

"Where're you going? Boys aren't allowed up there!" Paige called, but Harry was gone.

He knocked on the door, after smoothing his hair down automatically. He reached to push his glasses up on his nose, but remembered they weren't there.

"Who is it?" came undoubtedly Hermione's voice.

"It's me!" Harry called. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she said, "let me just add the finishing touches to my hair." Harry waited, and the door opened. He gaped when she came out.

Hermione was wearing light violet robes with glitter shimmering off it. She had silver rings, bracelets, and a necklace, and a lot of lavender colored barrettes in her hair. Her chestnut hair was pinned back and rather sleeker, shinier, bouncier, and wavier than usual. Harry saw traces of eye shadow and lip-gloss on her face.

"So we're ready to go?" he asked, after he gulped a few times when words wouldn't come out.

She smiled a beautiful smile and slipped her arm through Harry's. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Then let's go." He led her down the corridor and stairs. The common room was still buzzing, but they hushed when Harry and Hermione came to the landing. They seemed to walk down in slow motion, and everyone stared at them.

"You'd think this was some kind of fairy tale," Hermione whispered, eyes shining. 

"It's only the beginning," Harry said back to her. The night looked very promising.

They walked out of the portrait hole and everyone began to instantly talk about them. The Fat Lady, decked out in a frillier, fancier pink dress, smiled at them. "Have a good time!"

Harry and Hermione walked to the Great Hall, still arm in arm, joining the crowd of other students making their way there. They talked normally, not even realizing that people were still staring at them.

The Great Hall looked amazing. It was horrible and cheesy the way Lockhart had decked it out to be in their second year. It wasn't horribly pink, and really glittery. Banners with hearts on them were hung up. It was already full of people. The stage area that had been set up was empty.

"I wonder who's going to sing," Hermione mused.

Harry nodded. "Let's go find Ron; I want to see who his date was!"

His hair stood out easily, even in the swarm of people, but to their dismay, he was alone. He stood by the punch table, with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Harry," he said. "Hey – Hermione?" he asked in disbelief.

She nodded, her brown eyes sparkling. "You didn't recognize me, after five years of friendship?"

"So where's your date?" Harry asked, searching the room.

"I don't know," he said. "She's supposed to meet me here."

"Oh no, don't tell me it's you!" a voice groaned.

The three whipped around. It was a girl in sunshine yellow robes. Her dark hair was braided and twisted into a bun.

"Padma?" Ron asked in shock.

"Ron," she said bitterly.

Hermione and Harry couldn't help laughing. "Well, you two have fun," Harry said, leading Hermione away. Ron glared at him, avoiding Padma entirely.

"So are you going to ask me to dance this time?" she asked cynically, her dark eyes blazing.

Ron crossed his arms. "Ha, ha," he said dryly. _I can't believe Dean would do this to me!_ he thought furiously.

Harry bumped into Dean right after they got away from Ron, whilst he and Hermione were still in fits of laughter.

"So, did Ron find his date?" Dean asked, smirking.

Harry nodded, sniggering. Dean slapped him high five. "Well, I'm going to go and flirt with some girls, but guess what? I heard the Raging Ogres are playing!"

Harry had no idea who they were, but Hermione shook her head. "They don't play hard rock music at a Valentine's Day ball. What's the betting it'll be Celestina Warbuck?"

"I say five Galleons against it," Dean said.

"You're on," Hermione said, shaking hands.

"Hermione Anne Granger! Making a bet, I'm shocked!" Harry said teasingly.

"Hey, I'm going to get five Galleons," she said, grinning. "What are you getting out of this?"

"A good time, I hope," he said. "And judging by everything that happens to me, probably a very important or embarrassing experience. But right now, I'm _getting_ some punch. Do you want anything?"

"I'll have a punch too," she said.

He walked over and saw that the refreshment table was crowded with people. "What's going on?" Harry asked a tall, sixth year, Gryffindor boy named Steven Andrews.

"Someone's spiked the punch," he said solemnly, but then he burst out laughing.

"What is it?" Harry asked, trying to look over the crowd.

"Apparently, it's an Super Energy Elixir, and this couple who drank it are going mad. Weasley, well, he just started to do a tap-dance, and the girl began to yodel –" Steven snorted.

"Ron?" he asked in disbelief. He shoved a few people out of his way to try to get a closer look.

"Now, really!" a stunning lady said. Her wavy, dark hair was flowing freely to her waist, and she was wearing an elegant, dark red robe. Her face was painted and her lips were dark. Golden jewelry glimmered at her wrists and a large ruby was on a fine, gold chain around her neck. "What's going on?" she asked sternly.

A few seventh year boys catcalled and whistled. "Who is _that_?" Lee Jordan, in outrageous orange robes, asked, his eyes bulging.

Had Harry not heard her scoldings many times before, he'd never have believed that it was her. But judging by the irritated tone of voice, steely glint in her eyes, her hands on her hips, flaring nostrils, and thinned lips, it was definitely McGonagall.

"What's going on here?" she asked a redheaded Hufflepuff girl, named Anita Terreta.

"Oh, it's horrible!" she said. "Somebody spiked the punch, and that Weasley boy and Padma Patil – they drank a bit too much, and it was filled with a Super Energy Elixir. They're going crazy, I wouldn't be surprised if they started climbing on the walls. You have to do something, Professor McGonagall!"

They boys' jaws dropped. "_McGonagall_?" they asked simultaneously, in horror.

"No, it can't be!" Joshua Naples of Hufflepuff yelled. "You are _not_ telling me that that's Mean Old, Moody McGonagall?"

She ignored Joshua and pushed her way through the crowd, and luckily Harry managed to get right behind her. Her high heels clicked on the tiles as she briskly walked forward. "Now where are they?"

She needn't even bothered asking. Ron was doing amazing back flips and Padma was running in circles, singing a Muggle pop song at the top of her lungs.

"Poppy!" McGonagall called back over the crowd of children. 

Madam Pomfrey, dressed in very ugly robes, hastened over. "What is it, Minerva?"

"It's Mr. Weasley and Miss Patil. The punch has been spiked with a Super Energy Elixir, they drank a bit too much, and now they're acting out of hand."

Madam Pomfrey hurried over, grabbed the two screaming teenagers, and escorted them to the Infirmary.

"Quite a sight," someone said in his ear. He turned and saw Hermione. He grinned at her, but she quickly asked what had happened. When Harry explained it, she gasped.

"A Super Energy Elixir?" she asked in horror.

"Yeah. But it was pretty funny –"

"Harry, that's serious! A Super Energy Elixir is like heavy alcohol or cocaine! Ron and Padma must be in a horrible state!"

He shrugged. "At least they had a good time."

She groaned, but just then, Professor Dumbledore stood up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention." The entire Great Hall looked at him expectantly. "It is my greatest pleasure to introduce our entertainer for this evening. They have achieved global fame, won several awards, and sang some of the greatest hits this wizarding world has heard. And without further ado –" 

The crowd waited with bated breath. Hermione leaned forward.

"Miss Celestina Warbuck!" he announced, followed by tumultuous applause and a deafening roar of screaming students.

"Ha!" Hermione said smugly. "Now where's Dean?"

"Too bad Ron had to miss this," Harry said.

"Yes, he and Padma would have had a terrific time dancing," she giggled. "If Ron can even dance!" She had a mental image of Ron clumsily tripping on her oversized feet. "You can dance, right?"

That weird feeling that came when anyone mentioned him dancing came to him instantly. He started to sweat. "I – I don't dance…" He stammered the same thing he had told McGonagall.

"C'mon, slow dancing's easy!" she said. "Please, dance with me?"

"I asked you to the ball, isn't that enough?" he asked despairingly.

"Please?" she asked, as music began and Celestina Warbuck's sweet voice began to sing. She looked at Harry with some hope in her eyes that he slowly nodded. Her face broke out into a smile as she took Harry by the wrist and dragged him to the dance floor.

"What have I done?" he muttered under his breath, as Hermione guided his hands to her waist and wrapped hers around his neck.

"I love this song," she murmured, as they slowly swayed and moved around. "Don't you like it?" she asked him, looking into his clear, emerald eyes. He strained his ears to listen to the lyrics.

_Did you ever love somebody __  
__So much that the earth moved?__  
__Did you ever love somebody,__  
__Even though it hurt to?__  
__Did you ever love somebody,__  
__Nothing else your heart could do?__  
__Did you ever love somebody __  
__Who never knew?___

_ _

He saw Hermione listening intently too. She seemed really concentrated, so he didn't say anything. He just listened to the song lyrics more and continued to dance.

_Did you ever lay your head down __  
__On the shoulder of a good friend?__  
__And then have to look away somehow? __  
__Had to hide the way you felt for them?__  
__Have you ever prayed the day would come __  
__You'd hear them say they feel it to?__  
__Did you ever love somebody __  
__Who never knew?_

By looking at her, he could tell that this song was bringing back memories to her. Her eyes were closed, and she was paying a lot of attention. The song seemed to relate to her or something, because she looked near to crying. He understood why, after hearing the words.

_And if you did, well, you know I'd understand.__  
__I could, I would, __  
__More than anybody can.__  
  
__Did you ever love somebody __  
__So much that the earth moved?__  
__Did you ever love somebody __  
__Even though it hurts you?__  
__Did you ever love somebody__  
__Nothing else your heart could do?__  
__Did you ever love somebody __  
__Like I love you?___

_Like I love you?___

_Like I love you..._

The song faded away and ended, and Harry looked at Hermione sideways. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, as he saw a distinct tear trickle down her cheek.

"Nothing," she murmured. "I'm fine, it's just – bringing back memories."

Harry brushed the tear away. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I just need – some fresh air. I'm going to go outside…"

"Hermione, come back!" he called desperately as she traipsedaway. "Why are you always running?" he muttered.

He decided not to go after her this time – or should she? It was getting pretty bad for him to keep going after her and break her heart again and again by saying that she was only a friend to him. He went to the refreshment table, and helped himself to some butterbeer.

"Hey, Potter, where's your date?" Malfoy asked. His robes were velvety black again, and the inside was lined with red silk. This time, he looked like a vampire. "Did she run away?" Pansy Parkinson, in lacy violet robes, was clinging tightly to him. His arm was casually slung around her waist, and he had a very cool expression on his face.

"_Wow_, did you make that up all by yourself, _Draaaaaaco_?" he asked, in a good imitation of Pansy. "And don't think that my date ran away just because that's happened to you before."

Malfoy flushed angrily. 

"Where're you goons, anyway?" Harry asked coolly, craning his neck over the crowd. "Oh, there's Crabbe, dancing with Millicent Bulstrode. They're tripping all over each other – did you teach them how to dance, Malfoy?"

He glared at him. "Oh, good one, Potter," he said irately, and lead Pansy away, who squealed that he was so brave.

"Great comeback!" Harry shouted after them. He sighed and sat down on an empty chair, and took a swig of some butterbeer. 

Justin Finch-Fletchy sat down next to him a moment later. "Hey, Harry, where's your date?"

"Off crying outside," he said shortly, and took another gulp.

"Why?" Justin asked curiously. "Who is it, anyway?"

"Hermione," he said. "I don't know, we were dancing, and then Celestina Warbuck began to sing, and then she ran off."

"Well, you have to go after her!" he told her.

"I guess," Harry said. He stood up. "Thanks." Then he shuffled off, with his hands in his pockets. 

The entrance hall was empty, but a few students were outside, talking and kissing. He couldn't find Hermione, though, even when he searched her secret spot and the secluded rosebushes, which made a great hiding spot.

He sighed and sat down on the shore by the lake, not minding if his robes got dirty. He was deep in thought when somebody sat down next to him.

"Are you busy?" they asked him.

Turning, he realized that it was Hermione. "Where have you been?"

"I've been on a little stroll. Just thinking, you know."

"So why were you crying after the song?" he wondered.

"Oh, that," she said. "Well, you heard the song. It just seemed a lot like the situation I had currently been in, and memories just came flooding back. Mostly the ones where we were fighting, and I was crying and feeling miserable. You know."

"Look, Hermione, I'm really sorry that it took me so long to realize it – and that I acted so insensitive when I did find out. It must've been hard."

She nodded silently. She was staring into the depths of the lake, whose black waters were lapping against the shore. "The giant squid's out," was all she said.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"A lot." She sighed. "A pensieve would come in handy about now."

He stared at her. "What?" He had never told Ron and Hermione about Dumbledore's pensieve, or had he?

"Oh, yeah, when you have to many thoughts in your head, you put it into this sort of bowl. It comes out as this silvery stuff. I saw it at Dervish and Bangs. Well, when I looked at the lake, I remembered last year, the second task. When I found out that I was somebody that one of the champions would miss the most, my hopes went up. And when I found out it was Viktor, I sort of lost hope that you'd ever like me."

"Don't," he advised.

She looked up away from the cold waters. "What do you mean?"

"Never lose hope, that's what I'm saying. You know, some weird thing can come along, and maybe someday I'll like you back." Harry had no idea where these words were coming from, but they were just pouring out from his heart.

"I know you're saying that to make me feel better, but thanks, Harry," she said, giving him a small smile.

"So do you want to go back to the ball? We still have time for a couple more dances." He got up and offered her his hand to help her up too.

"I thought you hated dancing," she said, taking his hand, standing up, and brushing herself off with her other hand.

"Oh, I do," he said. "Do you want to dance or not?"

"Dance." They walked back to the Great Hall hand in hand, but they didn't say anything; they just admired the bright stars and enjoyed the peaceful night breeze.

The rest of the night went along smoothly. Harry and Hermione danced a few more times. Ron and Padma showed up a while later, and they actually began to dance too. They had made up, and everyone was having a really great time. Soon, the last dance was there. Celestina Warbuck sang her biggest hit ballad, and everyone was sad when it ended. Professor McGonagall instructed everyone to go back to his or her dorms, and for once, no one protested her.

Harry and Hermione got lost in the crowd, so they didn't have time to talk to Ron or Padma, because he went off the other way to walk her to the Ravenclaw place. Back in the common room, Harry and Hermione were paused in between the boys' and girls' stairways.

"Goodnight," he said awkwardly.

"Yeah," she said, looking at the floor.

"I had a good time," he told her, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm glad I asked you."

"Me too," she replied, "even if we're still just friends and always will be."

"Maybe not," Harry said. "Always look on the bright side. Maybe with some odd twist of fate –" (A/N: Why do I keep bringing in my other stories that have nothing to do with this???) "I just may fall for you."

"I'll pray the day will come when I'll hear you say you feel it too," she said, quoting from Celestina Warbuck's song.

"You do that," Harry said, grinning, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Goodnight."

She flushed happily. "I will. Goodnight." 

They parted their ways, and went to their dorms. They chatted a bit with their roommates about the ball until it was early in the morning. Eventually they fell asleep, exhausted from the exciting night.

Hermione, feeling a lot more optimistic, paused before she closed her eyes. "I know that somehow, _someday _he'll like me as more than a friend. Even if it takes a _real_ Entrancement Enchantment to get him to." She smiled to herself and drifted off to sleep. 

So it still wasn't entirely over, but like Professor Flitwick said, it would all come out right in the end. 

***

**A/N: ***Cough* _cheesy_! The lamest one out of the three, I think.Well, all my romance fics are anyway, so bear with it. Sorry this was so long, I just got this sudden urge to write as much as possible. I hope you enjoyed it, because I kind of like it, all 24 long pages of it (1-6; 2-8; 3-10). Well, you know the drill: review or I will keep begging. Come on, people, please review my stuff after you read it!

**P.S.** Who's up for a follow-up series to this? Just say the word and I'll come up with something! (Or you could ask me to finish Tapestry of Fate or The Mysterious Corridor. *Cough* Yeah right!)

**Disclaimer: **Anything you know is from the books of course doesn't belong to me. Things like Paige Torrey, Steven Andrews (that's my friend's first and middle name), Joshua Naples, WELHPS, the Super Energy Elixir, the Raging Ogres, and other stuff you don't recognize are mine. Oh yeah, that's not really Celestina Warbuck's song, it's "Did You Ever Love Somebody?" by Jessica Simpson.


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